Template: Request Your Mover's Published Price List (Copy and Send)

Every interstate household goods carrier is required by federal law to maintain a published tariff: a document that lists the exact rates, charges, and service terms for every type of move they perform (49 USC 13702). Think of it as a menu of prices. The carrier cannot legally charge you more or less than what the tariff says.

You have the right to see this document before you hire the mover. Brokers are required to base their estimates on the carrier's tariff (49 CFR 371.10). If the estimate doesn't match the tariff, the estimate is wrong.

Most consumers never see the tariff. Most don't know it exists. When one consumer requested it, the carrier responded: 'Our internal tariff listing is not provided to clients.' That response is itself a federal violation. The tariff is not an internal document. It is a public price schedule you are entitled to inspect.

Send this email before you book. If the mover won't provide the tariff, that tells you everything you need to know.

Subject: Request for Published Tariff (49 USC 13702)

Hi,

I'm considering hiring your company for an interstate move. Before I book, I'd like to review your published tariff as required by federal law.

Under 49 USC 13702, every household goods carrier must maintain a published tariff that contains the exact rates, charges, and service terms for transportation of household goods. This tariff is a public document that consumers have the right to inspect.

Specifically, I'm requesting:

1. Your complete published tariff, including rate schedules for line haul charges (per cubic foot and/or per pound), accessorial services (packing, stairs, long carry, shuttle, etc.), and any binding estimate fees.

2. Confirmation that the estimate you provide will be based on the rates in this tariff, as required by 49 CFR 371.10.

Please send the tariff as a PDF or provide a link to where it is published online.

If you are a broker rather than a carrier, please provide the tariff for the carrier you intend to dispatch for my move, along with the carrier's name and DOT number.

Thank you, [Your Name] [Your Phone] [Your Email]

When you receive the tariff, check these things:

1. Does the rate per cubic foot (or per pound) in the tariff match the rate on your estimate? If the estimate says $3.30/cf but the tariff says $2.50/cf, the estimate is inflated.

2. Does the tariff include a binding estimate fee? If so, how much? If the estimate shows a $3,000+ binding estimate fee but the tariff has no BEF provision, the fee is unauthorized.

3. Does the estimate show a 'Tariff Discount'? Tariff rates cannot be individually discounted to consumers (49 USC 13702(a)(2)). A 'Tariff Discount' on an estimate is a red flag: the carrier likely inflated the tariff rate and is showing a fake discount to make the real price look like a deal.

4. Are accessorial charges (packing, stairs, shuttle) clearly defined with specific dollar amounts? Vague charges like 'misc. bulky: $1,000' do not comply with the tariff requirement for exact rates.

5. Is there a provision for the carrier to revise the estimate on moving day? The tariff governs. If the carrier charges you more than the tariff allows, that is a potential felony (49 USC 14903, up to $205,375 per violation).

If the mover refuses to provide the tariff, you have three data points:

1. They may not have a tariff, which is a violation of 49 USC 13702.

2. They may have a tariff but don't want you to see it, because their estimate doesn't match it.

3. They don't understand the legal requirement, which tells you about their professionalism.

In any case, consider hiring a different mover. A company that won't show you its published price list before you hand over your belongings is not a company you should trust with everything you own.

If you've already been scammed and want to request the tariff after the fact as evidence for a complaint or lawsuit, the request carries the same legal weight. The carrier must provide it. A refusal to provide the tariff after you've been overcharged is additional evidence of a violation.

For more information on tariffs and how they work, see michaelgarcialaw.com/Legal-compliance.html (a transportation attorney's guide to carrier compliance) and FMCSA's Protect Your Move at ai.fmcsa.dot.gov/hhg/.

The tariff is the single most important consumer protection tool in the federal moving fraud statute. Congress retained tariff requirements specifically for household goods moving when it deregulated the rest of the trucking industry in 1995, because household goods consumers are uniquely vulnerable.

The penalty for intentionally charging prices that conflict with the published tariff is up to $205,375 per violation and up to two years imprisonment. It is the highest civil penalty in the entire household goods regulatory framework.

Yet almost no consumer knows tariffs exist. Almost no broker bases estimates on them. Almost no carrier publishes them online. And FMCSA has never penalized a mover for a tariff violation.

By requesting the tariff before you book, you are exercising a right that the moving industry hopes you never learn about.